South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has begun building a New Hampshire team as he moves toward a presidential run.

WMUR.com has learned that Paul Young, a Portsmouth-based veteran operative with more than 30 years of experience in political, government and private sector strategy, has become a national senior adviser to Graham’s pre-campaign Security Through Strength political action committee. Should Graham choose to run, Young will head Graham’s New Hampshire campaign as part of his national role.

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In Young, Graham has locked down a strategic adviser with a long history of intimate involvement in New Hampshire presidential politics.

Young has advised no fewer than five presidential candidates: the late U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp in 1988, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole in 1996, businessman Steve Forbes in 2000, U.S. Sen. John McCain in 2008 and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2012. Graham would be Young’s sixth presidential contender.

He has also served as a Capitol Hill staffer for former Sen. Gordon Humphrey and has advised several congressional candidates. Young becomes Graham’s first New Hampshire operative.

Graham on Sunday wrapped up his latest visit to the state after making stops at a house party hosted by former state Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen and his wife, Jenny, in Dover, and at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth.

Young said agreement was reached during the weekend. He said he will be working with top Graham advisers Christian Ferry and Jon Seaton.

“I like the fact that Lindsey Graham is running on two issues the American people need to deal with,” Young said. “He has expertise in foreign affairs, and the first issue is radical Islam. As he says, we may be tired of dealing with terrorists, but they are not tired of fighting us. That is absolutely true and we need to deal with that issue.”

“We can pretend that the United States doesn’t have a leadership role in the world, as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton do, but Lindsey feels the country should have a strong leadership role,” Young said.

“Secondly, he recognizes that domestically for our economy and the average person on the street, we are running into a time bomb, which is the fact that the Baby Boomers are retiring, and we need entitlement reform. Discussion about cutting government and taxes is almost irrelevant without entitlement reform,” Young said.

Young also said he agreed with Graham’s approach to immigration reform.

Overall, “We have to deal with the tough issues and govern not as partisans,” Young said. “He wants to put politics aside and do what is right for the country. And politically, it is imperative for the Republican Party to not been seen as anti-immigration.”

Young also said Graham is a “regular person who grew up needing Social Security disability, so he understands the average person and can legitimately stand up to the Democrats who demagogue on Social Security.”

As for Graham’s chances in New Hampshire, Young said Graham “has a really good chance, especially in a crowded field, of breaking through.” He said winning New Hampshire, or at least having a strong showing in the first-in-the-nation primary state, is key to Graham’s effort.